Preexposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among Spanish-Speaking Transgender Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial in North and South Carolina, 2019-2022.

Objectives. To evaluate Chicas Creando Acceso a la Salud (Girls Creating Access to Health; ChiCAS), a Spanish-language, small-group intervention designed to increase preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, consistent condom use, and medically supervised gender-affirming hormone therapy use among Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas who have sex with men. Methods. Participants were 144 HIV-negative Spanish-speaking transgender Latinas, aged 18 to 59 years, living in North and South Carolina. From July 2019 to July 2021, we screened, recruited, and randomized them to the 2-session ChiCAS intervention or the delayed-intervention waitlist control. Participants completed assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Follow-up retention was 94.4%. Results. At follow-up, relative to control participants, ChiCAS participants reported increased PrEP use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.57, 13.7; P < .006). However, ChiCAS participants did not report increased use of condoms or medically supervised gender-affirming hormone therapy. ChiCAS participants reported increases in knowledge of HIV (P < .001), sexually transmitted infections (P < .001), and gender-affirming hormone therapy (P = .01); PrEP awareness (P < .001), knowledge (P < .001), and readiness (P < .001); condom use skills (P < .001); and community attachment (P < .001). Conclusions. The ChiCAS intervention was efficacious in increasing PrEP use among Spanish-speaking, transgender Latinas in this trial. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):68-78. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307444).

Exploring Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With Sexual Risk and Substance Use Among Underserved GBQMSM and Transgender and Nonbinary Persons in South Central Appalachia.

Gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQMSM) and transgender and nonbinary persons are at elevated risk for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hepatitis C (HCV); in Appalachia, these communities experience more disease burden. However, little is known about the factors influencing risk. Sixteen semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted examining factors influencing prevention and care. Data were analyzed using constant comparison methodology. Fifteen themes emerged within four domains: social environment (e.g., microaggressions across gender, sexual orientation, and racial identities), substance use (e.g., high prevalence, use as coping mechanism), sexual health (e.g., misinformation and denial of risk for HIV and STIs), and access to health care (e.g., cost and transportation barriers, lack of local respectful care). Findings highlighted salient barriers and assets influencing prevention and care and suggest that multilevel interventions are needed to improve access to and use of HIV, STI, and HCV prevention and care services.

Exploring the consequences of food insecurity and harnessing the power of peer navigation and mHealth to reduce food insecurity and cardiometabolic comorbidities among persons with HIV: protocol for development and implementation trial of weCare/Secure.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity, or the lack of consistent access to nutritionally adequate and safe foods, effects up to 50% of people living with HIV (PWH) in the United States (US). PWH who are food insecure have lower antiretroviral adherence, are less likely to achieve viral suppression, and are at increased risk developing of serious illnesses, including cardiometabolic comorbidities. The objectives of this study are to better understand how food insecurity contributes to the development of cardiometabolic comorbidities among PWH and to test a novel bilingual peer navigation-mHealth intervention (weCare/Secure) designed to reduce these comorbidities in food-insecure PWH with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: In Aim 1, we will recruit a longitudinal cohort of 1800 adult (≥18 years) PWH from our clinic-based population to determine the difference in the prevalence and incidence of cardiometabolic comorbidities between food-secure and food-insecure PWH. Food insecurity screening, indicators of cardiometabolic comorbidities, and other characteristics documented in the electronic health record (EHR) will be collected annually for up to 3 years from this cohort. In Aim 2, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial among a sample of food-insecure PWH who have prediabetes or T2DM to compare changes in insulin sensitivity over 6 months between participants in weCare/Secure and participants receiving usual care. In Aim 3, we will conduct semi-structured individual in-depth interviews to explore the effect of the intervention among intervention participants with varying insulin sensitivity outcomes. TRIAL STATUS: Aim 1 (longitudinal cohort) recruitment began in May 2022 and is ongoing. Aim 2 (intervention) recruitment is planned for spring 2023 and is expected to be completed in spring 2024. Aim 3 (process evaluation) data collection will occur after sufficient completion of the 6-month assessment in Aim 2. Final results are anticipated in fall 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This research seeks to advance our understanding of how food insecurity impacts the development of cardiometabolic comorbidities among PWH and how food insecurity interventions may alleviate relevant comorbidities. Given the growing interest among health systems in addressing food insecurity, if the intervention is found to be efficacious, it could be broadly disseminated across HIV clinical care settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04943861 . Registered on June 29, 2021.